Defence

Ukrainian manufacturer KhGAAP has won firm orders for five An-74TK-300VIP twinjets and a similar number of An-74TK-200s for delivery by 2006.

The bulk of the orders are from Libya and Egypt, with the rest from "rich individuals", says KhGAAP.

"These 10 represent firm orders already formalised, but we are about to sign follow-on orders from the same customers," KhGAAP general director Pavel Naumenko says. He says the Arab customers specified their aircraft for multipurpose use. "Military people, organisations with special tasks and state officials contributed to the specification of these aircraft," he says.

Egypt intends to use its An-74s for "logistics missions", while Libya is understood to have ordered the An-74TK300VIPs primarily as VIP transports, although they will have a secondary use as medical evacuation aircraft.